Category: news

4 Aug 2018
News

UAE launches an amnesty program for 3-month visas for foreign Expats

In an excellent relief for hundreds of illegal immigrants and foreign workers, who have stayed longer than they should on their work permit in the country, the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) launched a three-month amnesty program for visas on Wednesday.

Under this program, illegal immigrants or foreign workers who stayed over their work permits in the UAE will return home without paying fines for remaining in the country illegally and will be granted a six-month visa to find a new job.

At least 2.8 million Indians work in the UAE, of which only between 15 and 20 percent are professionally qualified, followed by 20 percent of non-professionals.

About 65 percent of Indian labors in the UAE will get the benefit of the amnesty program if they stay longer than their work permit.

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Earlier, all the Indian passport holder travelling from India to other countries required transit visa at all the airport in France. Since July 23, 2018, Indian passports holders will no longer need an airport transit visa (ATV) while they transit through the international zone of any airport in France.

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UAE Offers 72 Hours Transit Visa to Indian Citizens

According to the TOI reports, the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to grant free transit visas during the first 48 hours for passenger traffic and this visa can be extended for up to 96 hours by paying AED 50 (approximately INR 930). )) Although the decision has been made, the date in which it will be implemented, let's say older than the Indian travel industry, is still awaited.

The United Arab Emirates is already the most significant international destination for Indian travellers. Almost a quarter of all foreign trips to and from India are made through mega-operators in the United Arab Emirates such as Emirates, flydubai and Etihad. Jet Airways, in which Etihad has a 24% stake, also serves as a feeder for long-haul flights from Etihad to Abu Dhabi. About 75% of people who fly to the Gulf are only in transit between India and the rest of the world. Therefore, the decision to grant free 48-hour transit visas is expected to further increase the number of visitors to the United Arab Emirates. The famous Dubai Duty-Free slogan, "Fly Buy Dubai", could soon be added to the word "visit".

Gulf nations strive to attract Indian travellers and are relaxing visa rules. The United Arab Emirates grants visa upon arrival to Indian citizens with a valid United States visa. Oman will also do the same for Indians who reside or have an entry visa to the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and the Schengen States. Last August, Qatar had allowed Indians and citizens from 46 other countries to stay up to 60 days there without a prior visa.

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Israel relaxes visa procedures for Indian citizens

In order to encourage incoming travelers, Israel has simplified the visa application process for Indian citizens. The relaxed visa regime includes fewer documents for Indians who have used visas from Schengen countries, the US, Canada, Australia or Israel and have completed their travel to these countries. For Indian travelers, the documents include a valid passport, a completed visa application form, two photos (5.5 cm x 5.5 cm), a travel information cover, travel insurance and a passport copy (first and last page).

"This is an initiative that we have introduced very closely with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in India, and I am pleased to see this change for the Indian travelers who want to travel to Israel, and the visa requirements will not only be eased speed up the application process, I am confident it will also increase the trip to Israel, we are also working on an express service with VFS, which will be launched shortly, and we are working on e-Visa processing and group visa facilitation Processes, "said Hassan Madah, director of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism.

In case of any queries related to Israel visa you can simply get in touch with our teams who can help you out with application procedure, call us on +91 020 49027000 or Mail us at inquiry@btwvisas.com

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Important News: Philippines

Kindly note due to the Emergency in the Philippines Immigration, Philippines Consulate in Mumbai announced that from today onwards Consulate will take 10 working days to process the visa application until further notice.

So plan your Philippines visa application according to your travel dates. In order to need help or assistance feel free to contact us on 020 49027000 or at mail us at inquiry@btwvisas.com

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UK Super Priority Visa Services (SPV) Extends to Pune and Bangalore

Now UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) services on 19th April declared an addition of Super Priority Visa Service (SPV) to Pune and Bengaluru.

The decision will benefit most of the Indian applicants because UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) gives out a visa decision in 24 hours or less.

"Super Priority Visa applications are assessed to exactly the same high standard as all other applications but are handled by UKVI at the highest priority, with dedicated staff members processing cases at the front of the queue and an express courier service ensuring a quick return to the customer. This means that the 24-hour turnaround is achievable and secure," stated an official British High Commission release.

Source: “Business Standard”

Other than Pune and Bengaluru this specialized service would also be available in Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.

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Renewal of work permit visa for Kuwait is getting tougher

Recently, Kuwait’s Public Authority for manpower has introduced a new regulation on the renewal of work permit in Kuwait and also enforced it on March 15th.

According to the new regulation that was circulated to almost all labour departments and companies a week ago, Indian engineers will not be able to renew their work visas until they attain a (NOC) No-Objection Certificate from (KSE) Kuwait Society of Engineers.

In order to obtain a NOC, the expat engineers must be graduated from the accredited college. While most of the engineering colleges and institutions are AICTE approved but in this case, Kuwait society of engineers only recognize universities and colleges those are accredited by (NBA) National Bureau of Accreditation.

Thousands of Indian engineers may hit by this move as there are not many Indian institutions accredited by NBA.

In any case, you need a visa assistance you can call us on 020 49027000 or mail us at inquiry@btwvisas.com

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Ministry Confirms PCC is mandatory for Indian job seekers in UAE

The announcement was made right after the rumors spread out that the requirement of PCC was waived off for certain nationalities, including Indians.

But, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation confirms the requirement of PCC, thus Indians looking to enter UAE for employment will require a good conduct certificate, also known as police clearance certificate (PCC).

Those who are planning to visit UAE on tourist or student visa, can visit UAE without having PCC.

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Zimbabwe offers Visa on Arrival for Indian Tourists.

Did you know zimbabwe has world’s largest waterfall i.e Victoria Waterfalls ( Largest in terms of height and width), if you ever wanted to see it, the time is now.

Because visiting Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe has becomes much easier for Indian tourists, how?

The government of Zimbabwe recently announced a revised visa application requirements which will see citizens from 28 countries receive visas on arrival and Indian passport holders falls under that list.

The government official has said “the changes are with immediate effect”.

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Getting an Uzbek Visa is Now Easier

From 10th Feb, It will be easier for Indians to visit Uzbekistan. How? The country has relaxed its visa process for 39 countries, including India, New Zealand, Canada and the US.
Now you can visit Uzbekistan without having an invitation letter, at the same time the visa processing time has been cut short from five days to two days only. There’s more good news for travelers: the country had announced e-visas starting 2021, but has graciously brought that ahead to 2018, And so, starting July this year, you can expect to apply for Uzbekistan visa online.

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Japan Regime to Attract Global Entrepreneur by Offering Startup Visa

Tokyo - To make Japan more competitive and desirable country amongst others, Japan has set a target of foreign direct investment of 35$ million by 2020, to achieve such goal GOJ (Government of Japan) took important initiative to provide startup visa for Entrepreneurs. Earlier if one has to start the business then he had to register a company there. But to register a company, one needs to obtain a business manager visa and take up residence.

To make it more easier, a startup visa program was made available to those who wants to set up a small business in the Tokyo. This visa gave entrepreneurs six months, to set up their business and could be renewed if just one or two conditions were met: which includes ¥5 million was invested in the company or two full-time employees were hired.

“We know that innovative small and medium-sized enterprises—including startups—have the potential to infuse energy and innovative solutions into the economy,” said ACCJ Venture Company Task Force

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UAE Launches App for Indians: For Hassle free Job Visa

The UAE consulate in New Delhi launched a smartphone app for Indians on Tuesday focused at providing travel advice and consular services to Emiratis visiting India as well as Indian nationals residing in UAE or considering moving to the UAE.

The app is featuring complete medical check-up and police verification in their home country before arriving in the UAE,

This can be completed at the touch of a smartphone button. It will even instruct on the documents required for visa application and police verification processes to be followed before applying for the employment visa in the UAE.

"The app is dedicated to providing information and the information actually serves both UAE nationals visiting India and also Indians trying to gather information to visit the UAE and also those going to work in the UAE."

Source- Khaleej Times

The app is available on both the platforms iOS and Android. Moreover, the app is design with a map providing information about key destinations and points along with proper guidance, which will not only help process and resolve issues but also provides address and coordinates to locations of the Embassy in New Delhi.

UAE currently has three visa centres in India Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi and the one in Delhi alone issued about 50,000 work visas last year. A total number of 1.6 million Indians visited the UAE last year by reports.

It is beneficial for UAE Nationals as well as Indians. It provides services like escort treatment for medical cases, financial matters emergencies, help in the case of loss of passport for the UAE nationals. For indian Nationals, the app provides visa and attestation information to apply for employment in UAE.

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Indian Expats Warned of ‘Dubai Immigration Scam’.

An official of Indian Consulate warned Indian immigrants right after Gulf news alerted the mission about various cases where several Indians have been duped in the new phone scam.

Indian expats have been duped of thousands of dirhams in the scam, where scammers call them from the number of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai.

A news investigation found that the scamesters have been faking the landline number of GDRFA call centre number i.e 043139999 or another toll-free number 8005111 that appears on the victims’ phones as +971800511.

Modus operandi behind this scam is to extort money from the immigrants,stating that they have either not filed the landing form or there are cases filed against them either here or in India.

first to create fear within the victim, when victim seems to be scared with such threats, the next step of the scamsters is to offer them two options either to deport back to India or pay the fees to the assistance of a lawyer.

Consulate’s Warning

An official from the Indian consulate in Dubai warned Indian expats against such scams.

“Some scamsters are calling people to cheat and they are demanding money from them. We have also received two complaints from Indian nationals regarding this,”

said Prem Chand, consul (passport, attestation, community affairs and welfare).

The official clarified that no Indian authority will directly call any Indian national on pending cases against him/her.

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Here's some great news for those of you who are in love with Japan "The land of rising sun".

Japan has introduced Visa relaxation norms for citizens of India seeking multiple-entry visas for short-term stays. It is not required for Indian citizens to submit the ‘Applicant’s Employment Certificate’ and ‘Explanation Letter stating the reason of applying for multiple-entry visa’. Applicant will only need their passport, a filled visa application and bank statement to prove financial capability. Frequent visitors or who have visited japan more than twice in past two years can issue multiple entry visa (valid for five years) by submitting only their passports and visa application forms.

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Australian Transit Visa requirement, URGENT REMINDER!

We would like to inform you, Australia transit Visa is mandatory for all the traveller travelling to any third country via Australia. As Airlines/Immigration can also deny boarding due to the absence of Australian Transit Visa.Example - If passenger travelling to New Zealand transiting Australia, a transit visa is mandatory.

Hence, the passenger is requested to take all the relevant documents informed by the transit visa department in order to avoid inconvenience.

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BTW E-Visa - Introducing Quick and Easy Online Visa Processing

We at BTW Visa Services know how critical and tiring is the visa documentation process. We have thrived to give the best visa processing experience to our customers.

Taking one more step towards the vision of hassle free experiences BTW Visa Services has introduced online E-Visa. Login to BTW's E-Visa system to experience fast and easy visa process.

The E-Visa system has been designed in a way wherein travelers will get their visa in few simple steps in just providing some information and basic documentation. Indians can apply for an E-Visa to 19 countries -

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BTW Visa Services-Introducing Call Support System

To provide more hassle free and personalized services to our customers, BTW Visa Services has introduced Call Support System from 07 AM to 10 PM daily including weekends and public holidays.The customers can reach us at 02049027000 for consultation or any emergency.

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Canada visa processing time increased to 34 working days

The Canada visitors visa processing (Tourist/Business/Family Visit) will now take 34 working days from the date of submission.Recently the Canada visa processing has become time consuming, the processing time earlier was 24 working days.Travelers are suggested to not book confirmed air tickets prior the visa approval.